Exercise bench

ABSTRACT

An exercise bench has a main support frame with a floor engaging member at one end and a folding front leg assembly at the other end which can be locked in a deployed position or a folded position. A user engaging foot stabilizer is pivotally associated with the front leg, and a thigh support is adjustably mounted on the front leg assembly or main support frame for engaging the thighs of a user when performing exercises while supported on the bench. The thigh support may be separate from or form part of a seat pad mounted on the frame. The bench is adjustable between positions for performing abdominal crunch or lower back exercises and is adjustable in both positions to allow different users to perform exercises effectively.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/249,987 entitled EXERCISE BENCH, of concurrentownership, filed on Oct. 12, 2005, which claims the benefit of priorityof U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/664,454 filed on Mar.22, 2005, and the contents of both of the aforementioned precedingapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to exercise benches for supporting a userwhile performing exercise, and is particularly concerned with anexercise bench for performing both abdominal and low back exercises.

2. Related Art

Exercise benches designed for performing abdominal or sit up exercisesas well as lower back exercises such as hyper-extensions are known inthe field. A simple inclined bench may be used to perform sit upexercises. Devices for performing hyper-extensions typically support theuser leaning forwardly against a thigh support pad engaging the front ofthe user's thighs with their feet held in place by foot and ankle pads.The user then bends their upper body forward and downward at the waist,and then bends back up and rearward into alignment with the lower halfof their body. This exercises the user's lower back muscles.

Some exercise benches are adaptable for both abdominal and lower backexercises. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,513 of Habing et al.describes a dual station exercise bench having a generally A shapedframe, with a back pad pivotally secured to one leg of the frame, and asecondary tube welded to the front face of the second leg of the frameand housing an adjustable slide member with thigh support pads mountedon its upper end. A second set of roller pads are pivotally mounted onthe adjustable slide member below the thigh pads, for engaging a user'sankles when performing sit up or abdominal crunch exercises. A third setof roller pads are located at the lower end of the second leg, alongwith angled foot pads. The user stands on the foot pads with the thirdroller pads engaging behind their ankles while performing lower backexercises. This exercise bench has a large number of parts and isrelatively heavy. It is also not foldable for storage or shipping.

Some exercise benches which can be used for lower back or abdominalexercises can be folded, but generally require removal of some parts toallow folding of the remainder of the bench. For example, U.S. Pat. No.6,206,809 of Habing requires removal of an actuator arm carrying thethigh pad before it can be folded. U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,016 of Kuorequires the seat to be removed prior to folding the remainder of theframe. This makes movement of the bench between the folded and deployedpositions inconvenient and does not allow for safe storage of theseparated component.

Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that overcomes thesesignificant problems found in the conventional systems as describedabove.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein provide an exercise bench for performingabdominal and lower back exercises.

According to one aspect, an exercise bench is provided which comprises aframe assembly having a first frame portion having floor engaging endand a second end, at least a forward part of the first frame portionbeing inclined upwardly towards the second end of the frame in anexercise position of the bench, and a second frame portion comprising afront leg secured to the first frame portion and having a foot portionfor engaging the ground, a user engaging foot stabilizer pivotallyassociated with the front leg, and a thigh support adjustably mounted onthe frame assembly for engaging the thighs of a user when performingexercises while supported on the bench, whereby the spacing between theuser engaging foot stabilizer and the thigh support is adjustable.

The thigh support, which provides support for the user's upper thighduring a back hyper-extension exercise, may be associated with eitherthe first frame portion or main support frame, or with the second frameportion or front support leg. The adjustable spacing between the thighsupport or thigh pad and the foot stabilizer allows for adjustment ofthe bench for users of different heights and also for different bodyorientations. The exercise bench may be designed for performing onlyabdominal exercises or for only lower back exercises, but in theexemplary embodiment it is a combination bench which can be used forboth abdominal and lower back exercises. When performing an abdominalexercise, the user sits on a seat pad located on a downwardly inclinedpart of the first frame portion facing forward, and hook their feetunder the self-aligning foot stabilizer with the back of their lowerthighs resting on the thigh support. They then bend rearward, pivotingat the waist to put their abdominal muscles under tension, andsubsequently pivot back up into a sitting position. In order to performa lower back exercise, the thigh support is adjusted to contact theupper thigh region of the user, and the user then stands facing the rearof the bench with their feet on the foot portion of the front leg andthe foot stabilizer engaging behind their ankles, with their body in aforward lean so their upper thighs engage the thigh support. They thenbend forward at the waist until their lower back muscles are undertension, subsequently returning to the start position.

In one embodiment, the user engaging foot stabilizer is pivotallymounted on the front leg so as to extend in front of the leg, and a stopdevice is provided for limiting the pivotal range of motion of the footstabilizer in at least one direction. The stop device may be designed toprevent the foot stabilizer from pivoting to a position in which it isat a lower elevation than the pivot connection point to the front leg.This keeps the foot stabilizer within range of a user's feet whenpositioning themselves for either a seated abdominal exercise or astanding low back exercise. The foot stabilizer is designed to keep theuser secured and properly positioned when performing exercises. It isdesigned to rest on top of the user's feet during an abdominal crunchexercise, keeping their feet securely on the bench by preventing thefeet from sliding forward and preventing them from tipping over whenthey lean rearward. The foot stabilizer rests above the user's heelsduring a back hyper-extension exercise, keeping their feet securely onthe bench by preventing them from sliding rearward.

The front leg may be pivotally secured to the second end of the firstframe portion so that it can be folded up for storage, and may be tuckedup within the framework of the first frame portion when folded toprovide a compact storage position. The foot stabilizer may be foldableinto a storage position in which at least part of the foot stabilizerswings past the front wall of the front leg to provide a more compactfolded profile, and also keeps the foot stabilizer, which may comprisefoot engaging roller pads, protected within the framework of the supportframe. The front leg may be lockable in both the folded storage positionagainst the underside of the first frame portion and the deployed orexercise position in which it is inclined forwardly from the first frameportion. The foot portion or cross member at the lower end of the frontleg also acts as a foot support or rest for the user to stand on whenthey are exercising their lower back muscles. This allows the user'sweight to bear down on the floor engaging member or support in order toprevent the bench from tipping or sliding as the user performs lowerback exercises.

The exercise bench can be folded into a storage position without firsthaving to remove any component of the bench. Exercises performed on thebench are gravity resisted and un-assisted by any supplemental weightsor exercise resistance, although supplemental weights or exerciseresistance may be added if desired.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front leg has a first tube and anadjuster member or tube telescopically associated with the first tubeand releasably lockable in a series of different extended positionsrelative to the first tube. In one embodiment, the first tube has anupper end secured to the forward end of the first frame portion and theadjuster member is slidably mounted in an upper end of the first tubewith the thigh support secured to the upper end of the adjuster member.The thigh support may be a pair of thigh pads or rollers projecting inopposite directions from the upper end of the adjuster member. In analternative arrangement, the thigh support is an enlarged portion of aforward end of a seat pad which has a rear end pivotally associated withthe first frame portion, so that extension of the adjuster memberincreases the angle of the seat pad while also raising the height of thethigh support.

In another embodiment, a pad pivotally associated with a forward part ofthe first frame portion can be secured in a first or down positionseated on the first frame portion to act as a seat pad for a userperforming abdominal exercises, or in a second, raised position to actas a thigh support for a user performing lower back exercises. The angleof the pad in the raised position can also be varied to adjust exercisedifficulty. In this embodiment, the upper end of the adjuster member issecured to the forward end of the first frame portion, so thatadjustment of the extension of the adjuster member also adjusts theheight of the pad in the second, raised position and the inclination ofthe pad when acting as a seat in the down position.

According to another aspect, a combination bench for exercising theabdominals and low back of a user is provided, the bench having a mainframe and a folding assembly that can fold up for storage without theremoval of any component or fastener. The bench can be locked in boththe exercise and storage position, with the folding assembly tucked upwithin the frame work of the non-folding or main frame part in thestorage position. A user engaging foot stabilizer is pivotally attachedto the folding assembly with an arrangement that allows at least aportion of the user engaging section of the foot stabilizer to swingpast the front wall or edge of the folding assembly in the folded orstorage position, producing a more compact storage condition.

In another embodiment, a combination bench for exercising the abdominalsand low back of a user is provided, the bench having a frame and a footstabilizing device pivotally attached to the frame for providingstabilization and proper positioning of the user's feet during bothexercises, the foot stabilizing device pivoting so as to self-align tothe feet of the user in each exercise position, and having a limit orstop member to restrict its range of motion in at least one direction.The foot stabilizing device may comprise a cross member extendingtransversely across a front portion of the frame, oppositely directedpads secured to opposite ends of the cross member, and a pivot bracketassembly pivotally securing the cross member to the frame. The crossmember engages the front portion of the frame to restrict pivotingmotion of the foot stabilizing device in a first direction. A stopmember may be mounted on the frame to restrict pivoting motion in asecond direction such that the foot stabilizer can always be reachedreadily by the user's feet.

A bench for exercising the low back of a user according to anotheraspect has a main frame and a folding assembly that can fold up forstorage without the removal of any component or fastener, the foldingassembly being lockable in at least one of an exercise position and astorage position, and tucking up within the frame in the storageposition. The folding assembly has a user engaging foot stabilizer,pivotally associated with the folding assembly in a manner that allowsat least a portion of the user engaging section of said foot stabilizerto swing past the front wall or edge of said folding assembly in thestorage position to allow for a more compact storage condition.

According to another aspect, an exercise bench is provided whichcomprises a main frame having a first end for engaging the ground and asecond end raised above the ground in an exercise position, and a frontleg secured to the main frame and having a foot portion for engaging theground in the exercise position to hold the second end of the main framein the raised position, a support pad for supporting part of the user'sbody being mounted on either the front leg or the main frame, the frontleg being adjustable in length to adjust the height of the support pad,and a user engaging foot stabilizer pivotally associated with the frontleg with the pivot mounting at a fixed position relative to the footportion, whereby adjustment of the length of the front leg adjusts thedistance between the foot stabilizer pivot mounting and the support padso as to accommodate user's having different length legs.

In an exemplary embodiment, a seat pad has a forward end secured to anupper end of the front leg and a rear end pivotally associated with amember slidably mounted on the main frame, whereby adjustment of thelength of the front leg causes the forward end of the seat pad to pivotupwardly and the rear end to slide forwardly along the main frame.

The exercise bench allows a user to perform either abdominal or lowerback exercises, and has a folding front leg assembly so that it can foldup flat for easier storage The bench is readily adjustable to allowvarious size exercisers to perform both exercises effectively, and alsoto adjust the exercise difficulty. A thigh pad of adjustable height isprovided either on the main frame or front leg assembly, andself-aligning, ankle engaging foot stabilizer pads are pivotally mountedon a part of the front leg assembly, so that the thigh pad can beadjusted independent of the ankle engaging pads.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewingthe following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure andoperation, may be gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings,in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise bench according to a firstembodiment of the invention, with the bench configured for performingabdominal crunch exercises;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the bench similar to FIG. 4,illustrating a user performing a seated abdominal exercise;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating thebench configured for performing a back hyper-extension exercise;

FIG. 7 is front view of the bench in the configuration of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the bench configured as in FIG. 6 for lowerback exercises;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the bench in the back exerciseconfiguration of FIGS. 6 to 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 9, illustrating a userperforming a low back exercise;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the bench of FIGS. 1 to 10 in a folded,storage position;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the bench in the storage position;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the bench in the storage position of FIGS.11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of the bench in the storage position ofFIGS. 11 to 13;

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view from underneath the bench in thedeployed position of FIG. 1, illustrating the pivotal connection betweenthe frame and the folding front leg assembly;

FIG. 15A is an exploded view of the pivotal connection circled in FIG.15;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the exercise bench of FIGS. 1 to 15 atan intermediate position as the front leg assembly is being unfoldedfrom a storage position to a deployed position;

FIG. 16A is an enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 16,illustrating the range of motion plate;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the exercise bench with the front legassembly in the deployed, exercise position;

FIG. 17A is an enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 17,illustrating the range of motion plate;

FIG. 18A is a side elevation view of the exercise bench of FIGS. 1 to 17with the bench in position for performing abdominal exercises and theadjustable thigh support rollers in their lowest position;

FIG. 18B is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 18A showing theadjustable thigh support rollers in a raised position;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an exercise bench according to a secondembodiment of the invention, with the bench in a first exercise positionfor performing abdominal crunch exercises;

FIG. 20 is a front elevation view of the bench in the position of FIG.19;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the bench of FIGS. 19 and 20;

FIG. 22 is a side elevation view of the bench in the position of FIGS.19 to 21;

FIG. 23 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 22 illustrating a userperforming a seated abdominal exercise;

FIG. 24 is a front perspective view of the bench of FIGS. 19 to 23 in asecond exercise configuration for performing back hyper-extensionexercises;

FIG. 24A is an enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 24 toillustrate the locking arrangement between the frame and the foldingfront leg assembly in the exercise position;

FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of the bench in the exerciseposition of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the bench positioned as in FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a side elevation view of the bench positioned as in FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 27 illustrating a userperforming a low back exercise;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view illustrating the bench of FIGS. 19 to 28in a folded or storage position;

FIG. 30 is a front view of the folded bench of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a top plan view of the folded bench of FIG. 29;

FIG. 32 is a side elevation view of the folded bench of FIGS. 29 to 31;

FIG. 33 is a bottom plan view of the folded bench of FIGS. 29 to 32;

FIG. 34 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 32 illustrating thebench in the folded position;

FIG. 34A is an expanded view of the circled region A of FIG. 34;

FIG. 34B is an expanded view of the circled region B of FIG. 34;

FIG. 35 is a side elevation view of the exercise bench of FIGS. 19 to 34with the adjustable seat assembly in its lowest position;

FIG. 36 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 35 illustrating theseat assembly in a raised position;

FIG. 36A is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 35 showing a modifiedpivot mounting for the adjustable seat assembly, with the upholstery cutaway to show the front pivotal attachment;

FIG. 36B is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 27 but showing themodified exercise bench of FIG. 36A, again with the upholstery cut awayto show the front pivotal attachment;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of an exercise bench according to a thirdembodiment of the invention in a first exercise position for performingabdominal crunch exercises;

FIG. 38 is a front elevational view of the bench in the position of FIG.37;

FIG. 39 is a top plan view of the bench of FIGS. 37 and 38;

FIG. 40 is a side elevation view of the bench in the position of FIGS.37 to 39;

FIG. 41 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 40 illustrating a userperforming a seated abdominal exercise;

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the exercisebench in a second exercise position for performing back hyper-extensionexercises;

FIG. 43 is a front elevation view of the bench in the position of FIG.42;

FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the bench in the position of FIG. 42;

FIG. 45 is a side elevation view of the bench in the position of FIG.42;

FIG. 46 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 45 illustrating a userperforming a lower back exercise;

FIG. 47 is a perspective view of the bench of FIGS. 37 to 46 in a foldedor storage position;

FIG. 48 is a front elevation view of the bench in the folded position ofFIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a top plan view of the bench in the folded position of FIG.47;

FIG. 50 is a side elevation view of the bench in the folded position ofFIG. 47;

FIG. 51 is an expanded perspective view of the adjustable seat bracketfrom underneath the front pad, illustrating how the curved adjusterplate passes through the main frame;

FIG. 52 is a side elevation view of the exercise bench illustratingdifferent adjusted positions of the front pad in the second exerciseposition for performing lower back exercises;

FIG. 53 is a side elevation view of the bench of FIGS. 37 to 52illustrating the front leg assembly being folded about its pivotalconnection to the main frame towards the folded position;

FIG. 53A is an expanded view of the circled region of FIG. 53illustrating the locking pin and pinning hole for locking the folded legassembly in the folded position;

FIG. 54 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 53 but from theopposite direction to FIG. 53;

FIG. 54A is an expanded view of the circled region of FIG. 54illustrating the notch in the leg assembly bracket for fitting aroundthe seat pad adjusting pull pin;

FIG. 55A is a bottom plan view of part of the underside of the benchwith the front support leg in the folded position;

FIG. 55B is a bottom plan view similar to FIG. 55A but illustrating thefront support leg in the exercise position;

FIG. 56 is a side elevation view of the bench of the third embodiment inthe exercise position for performing abdominal exercises, with theadjustable seat assembly in its lowest position;

FIG. 57 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 56 illustrating theadjustable seat assembly in a raised position;

FIG. 58A is a front perspective view of the self-aligning footstabilizer of the first embodiment of the exercise bench;

FIG. 58B is a rear perspective view of the foot stabilizer of FIG. 58A;

FIG. 59A is a front perspective view of the self-aligning footstabilizer of the second embodiment of the exercise bench;

FIG. 59B is a side perspective view of the foot stabilizer of FIG. 59A;

FIG. 60A is a front perspective view of the self-aligning footstabilizer of the third embodiment of the exercise bench; and

FIG. 60B is a rear perspective view of the foot stabilizer of FIG. 60A.

FIG. 61A is a front perspective view of an alternative self-aligningfoot stabilizer; and

FIG. 61B is a rear perspective view of the foot stabilizer of FIG. 61A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for an exercise benchwhich supports a user while performing exercise. For example,embodiments of the exercise bench as disclosed herein allow a user toperform either abdominal or low back exercise.

After reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled inthe art how to implement the invention in various alternativeembodiments and alternative applications. However, although variousembodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it isunderstood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only,and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of variousalternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope orbreadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

FIGS. 1 to 18 illustrate a foldable exercise bench 10 according to afirst embodiment for performing abdominal crunch exercises or lower backexercises. The bench consists of 5 main elements: A main support frame12, a folding front leg assembly 14, a foot stabilizer 15, a thighsupport 16 and a seat pad 18, as indicated in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the bench 10 in a first exercise position forperforming abdominal crunch exercises, while FIGS. 6 to 10 illustratethe bench 10 in a second exercise position for performing backhyper-extension exercises. FIGS. 11 to 14 illustrate the bench in afolded or storage position, and FIGS. 15 to 18 illustrate variousdetails of the bench components.

The main support frame 12 comprises a main tube 20 which has a floorengaging cross support 24 connected at a first end and a support plate22 (FIGS. 3 and 4) connected to a second end. The main tube anglesdownward and rearward from its second end and has a downward bend 25approximate its first end. The seat pad 18 is engaged with the main tube20 with a forward end of the seat pad adjacent the second end of thetube. The seat pad is tapered, as best seen in FIG. 3, with the widestend at the front closest to the second end of the main tube.

The folding front leg assembly 14 is pivotally connected to the mainsupport frame by pivot pin 26 located adjacent its upper end and has afloor engaging cross support 28 associated with its second or lower end.The front leg assembly holds the main tube 20 in the raised positionwhen in the deployed, exercise positions of FIGS. 1 to 10, as bestillustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 6 and 9. The lower cross support 28 also actsas a foot rest or support for the user to stand on when they areperforming back exercises. This allows the user's weight to bear down onthe floor engaging section to prevent the bench from tipping or slidingas the user is exercising their low back muscles.

The folding front leg assembly comprises a tubular front support leg 29with an open upper end and the floor engaging cross support 28 istransversely attached at the lower end. An adjuster tube 30 withmultiple adjustment openings 32 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) is inserted into theopen first end of the front support leg for telescopic adjustment withthe support leg. One end of the adjuster tube protrudes past the openend of the support leg and has a round pad support rod 33 transverselymounted at its upper end. Roller pads 34 are mounted over the ends ofthe pad support rod 33. The roller pads 34 comprise the thigh support 16for engaging the user's thighs when the adjuster tube is elevated forlow back exercises, as in FIGS. 6 to 10. The pads 34 also providesupport behind a seated user's knees during abdominal exercises. A pullpin 35 extends through the front wall of the front support leg 29adjacent its open upper end and into a selected aligned opening 32 inthe adjuster tube so as to lock the adjustment tube at a selectedextension.

A “U” shaped mounting bracket 36 is attached by its web to the rear wallof the front leg 29, opposite the pull pin 35. The mounting bracket hasa first rearward protruding leg 37 and second rearward protruding leg 38which is longer and larger in dimensions than the first leg, as bestillustrated in FIGS. 5, 11 and 15. The pivot pin 26 extends through afirst opening in the first leg 37, a round tube 40 welded to the frontplate 22 of the main tube, and through a second, aligned opening in thesecond leg 38 so as to pivotally connect the front support leg 29 to themain frame, as best illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 15A. This pivotalconnection allows the front support leg to fold rearward, up against theunderside of the main support frame. The second leg has an arcuate slot42 approximate its rearward edge with opposite bulbous ends 43, 44, asbest illustrated in FIG. 4. A pull pin 45 is mounted on one side wall ofthe main support frame's main tube. The pull pin 45 has a largerdiameter body 47 with a smaller diameter tip 46 which engages in thearcuate slot 42 of bracket 36 secured to the front support leg 29, asillustrated in FIGS. 15 to 17. The bulbous ends 43, 44 of the arcuateslot provide locking positions for the storage position (see FIG. 11)and the exercise positions (see FIGS. 4 and 6). When the leg is pivotedabout pivot pin 26, the end or tip 46 of the pull pin travels along slot42. The stepped design of the pull pin plunger helps to ensure that thepull pin engages with the slot, for added safety. When the pull pin isaligned with one of the enlarged, bulbous ends of the slot, the largerdiameter portion 47 of the pull pin extends into the enlarged end of theslot, locking the pin in position and thus locking the leg 29 in its endposition (either folded or deployed).

The foot stabilizer 15 is generally T-shaped and is pivotally connectedto the front support leg 29 at a location intermediate the leg's twoends. The stabilizer comprises two, spaced plates 48,49 on oppositesides of the front leg 29 with a pair of holes located towards the firstend of each plate, and a user engaging cross bar 52 transverselyconnected to each plate at their respective second ends. The plates arespaced to allow them to pass around the sides of the support leg andpivotally mount the stabilizer to a round tube 54 welded on the supportleg's rear wall, as best illustrated in FIG. 15. This allows the footstabilizer to pivot about a pivot axis 53 extending through the firstpair of aligned plate holes. A bolt or pin 55, also illustrated in FIG.15, is transversely connected through the second of the pair of plateholes in plates 48 and 49, and acts as a stop means to limit the rangeof motion of the foot stabilizer about its pivotal connection to thefront support leg. Roller pads 56 are mounted to the ends of the userengaging cross bar for added comfort and to create a larger contactsurface. Upward rotation of the stabilizer about pivot 53 (FIG. 4) islimited by the engagement of the cross bar 52 with the front side of theleg 29. Downward rotation of the stabilizer is limited by engagement ofthe stop pin 55 with the rear face of the leg 29. Because of the stopmeans which limits rotation of the stabilizer in the forward direction,the stabilizers or foot and ankle engaging pads do not pivot out of theexercise ready position and are readily accessible to the user.

As noted above, FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the exercise bench in a firstdeployed position for performing abdominal crunch exercises. In theposition of FIGS. 1 to 5, the upper pads 34 are in a lower positionadjacent the front edge of seat pad 18, and the front support leg 29 isrotated into the deployed, forwardly inclined position with the floorengaging cross support 28 engaging the ground and the pull pin 45extending through the bulbous end 44 of slot 42 to lock the leg 29 inthe illustrated position. FIG. 4 illustrates the self-aligningcapabilities of the foot stabilizer, since it can pivot freely aboutpivot 53 between two end positions. FIG. 4 illustrates two possiblepositions of the foot stabilizer in solid and dotted outline,respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates a user 60 performing a seated abdominal exercise. InFIG. 5, hidden lines have been revealed to better show the variouscomponents. In this case, the user is seated on seat pad 18 facingforwardly, with their legs extending over thigh pads 34, which engagebehind the user's knees. The legs are then bent downwardly with the feetengaging behind or hooking under the foot stabilizer pads 56 so that thefeet are anchored. The user's legs are located on opposite sides of thefront support leg 29. The upright position of FIG. 5 represents both thestart position and the finish position for the exercise, with the arrowsindicating the exercise motion. The reclined position is theintermediate position when the abdominal muscles are under tension. Theuser bends backwardly about their waist from the upright start positionuntil they are in the rearwardly reclined position, and then bends backupwardly into the upright position. Because the seat pad is inclined,the user uses their stomach muscles to pull their body up hill, againstthe force of gravity. The greater the angle of the seat pad (or theelevation between their knees and hips), the greater the effort requiredto return the body to the starting, upright position. Because of itspivotal attachment to the front support leg 29, the foot stabilizer 15automatically pivots to adjust to the leg length of the user.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate how the angle of the user's body forperforming abdominal crunch exercises can be adjusted. In FIG. 18A, theadjustable rollers 34 are in their lowest position while FIG. 18B showsthe rollers 34 in a slightly elevated position. The rollers are adjustedby pulling the pull pin 35 outwardly and lifting the adjustment rod 30until the rollers 34 are at the desired height, and then releasing thepull pin 35 to extend through the aligned opening 32 in the front wallof rod or tube 30. Raising the rollers 34 increases the amount theuser's knees are raised above their hips. The dotted lines 62, 63 inFIGS. 18A and 18B represent the line of the user's upper leg when theyare seated on the bench as depicted in FIG. 5. By slightly raising theadjuster tube, the roller pads change the user's seated angle from 27 to36 degrees while the roller height is changed from 21.5 inches to 24.25inches. The steeper the seated angle of the user, the greater thegravitational influence of their body weight on the exercise.

A similar adjustment is also used to vary the height of the roller pads34 so as to provide thigh support when performing back exercises, asillustrated in FIGS. 6 to 10. It can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7 that theadjuster tube 30 has two sets of openings 32, with the upper setengaging the pull pin 35 to adjust the height of pads 34 when the useris performing seated abdominal exercises, as described above. The lowerset of openings 32 is used to adjust the height of thigh pads 34 whenperforming lower back exercises. With the front support leg 29 in itsdeployed position, the user pulls out the pull pin 35 and raises thepads 34 to the desired height so that they engage the front of theuser's thighs as in FIG. 10. The pad height is dependent on the lengthof the user's legs, and the openings provide a wide range ofadjustability for users of different heights. The pin 35 is thenreleased to extend through the aligned opening and secure the pads 34 inthe raised position.

The user 60 then stands facing the rear of the bench, as illustrated inFIG. 10 with their feet planted on the folding assembly's floor engagingcross member 28 and their heels fitted under the user engaging cross bar5.2 and pads 56 of the foot stabilizer, leaning slightly forward againstthe thigh pads 34. Once they are locked in place, making contact withboth the thigh support and the foot stabilizer, they bend over at thewaist until their low back muscles are under tension, as indicated inthe forwardly bent position of the user in FIG. 10, and then return tothe starting position. Because the floor engaging section of the foldingassembly is forward of the thigh support, the user is placed in aforwardly inclined starting position. This means their torso is alreadyunder the influence of gravity, which increases the minute they startthe exercise by bending forward and force their low back muscles toresist the effects of gravity.

FIGS. 11 to 14 illustrate the bench 10 in the folded or storageposition. In order to fold up the bench for storage, the pull pin 45(FIG. 15) is pulled out to release the larger portion of the pin fromthe bulbous end 44 of the slot 42, and the front support leg 29 can thenbe folded rearwardly and upwardly about pivot 26 until it is positionedadjacent the lower surface of main tube 20, as indicated in FIG. 14. Atthis point, the end 46 of the pull pin has traveled along the slot 42 upto the opposite bulbous end 43, and the released lock or pull pin 45springs out so that the larger diameter portion 47 enters the enlargedend 43 of the slot, locking the leg 29 in the folded position. It can beseen that the folded leg 29 tucks up within the framework of the benchin the folded position, with the ground engaging member 28 at the end ofthe leg 29 being spaced from bent end portion of the main tube 20 andthe entire folding assembly being raised above the cross support 24 atthe first end of the tube. The foot stabilizer 15 is also folded upagainst the support leg 29 in a compact manner. Because the userengaging roller pads 56 on the foot stabilizer are at a spacing widerthan the width of the support leg 29, they can fold up past the frontwall of leg 29, providing a more compact folded profile and keeping thepads protected within the curved framework of the main support frame.

FIGS. 19 to 36 illustrate an exercise bench 70 according to a secondembodiment. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment but hasthe thigh support mounted at the end of a seat pad on the main framerather than on an adjuster tube slidably mounted in the front leg, andthe seat pad in this case is pivotally mounted on the main frame andadjusted by extending the length of the front leg, as described in moredetail below. The exercise bench is movable between a first exerciseposition as illustrated in FIGS. 19 to 23, 35 and 36 for performingabdominal crunch exercises, a second exercise position as illustrated inFIGS. 24 to 28 for performing back hyper-extension exercises, and afolded or storage position as illustrated in FIGS. 29 to 34.

The exercise bench 70 has a main support frame that has a downwardlyangled main tube 72 with a floor engaging, round cross support 75transversely attached to a first end and a U-shaped support bracket 74(see FIG. 27) secured to its second end. A folding front leg assembly 73is pivotally attached to the second end of the main tube 72. The maintube has a straight section and a downward curving section extending tothe cross support 75. An elongate “U” shaped channel 76 is secured tothe upper surface of the straight section of the main tube, asillustrated in FIGS. 22, 23, 24 and 27, with the channel's side panels78 mounting to the side walls of the main tube. The channel 76 is raisedabove the upper surface of main tube 72 with the raised portions of theside panels 78 each having a longitudinal guide slot 79 aligned with thecorresponding slot in the other side panel, the arrangement being suchthat the slotted sections are located above the upper surface of maintube 72.

A seat assembly is pivotally mounted on the main tube 72. The seatassembly comprises a seat bracket 80 and a tapered seat pad 82 with anenlarged, rounded front end 84 mounted to the seat bracket forsupporting the user. The rounded front end 84 provides thigh support forthe user when they are performing back hyper-extension exercises andsupport behind the user's knee when they are seated and performingabdominal crunch exercises. The seat bracket 80 has a transverse tube 85attached to a forward end (see FIGS. 25 and 28) and two ears 86projecting downward and rearward at its rear end (see FIG. 24).Attachment holes are located approximate the end of each ear. The rearears engage over the main frame's top channel and are connected by apivot pin 88 that runs through the hole in a first ear, pivotally andslidably engages through both slots 79 in the channel and then engagesthrough the hole in the second ear, as best illustrated in FIGS. 34 and34B.

The folding front leg assembly 73 of the bench has a tubular frontsupport leg 90 with an open first end and a floor engaging cross support92 transversely attached at a second end. An adjuster tube 94 withmultiple adjustment openings 95 (see FIG. 24) is inserted into the openfirst end of the front support leg for telescopic adjustment with thesupport leg. A pull pin 96 is mounted on the front wall of the supportleg 90 adjacent its open end and extends through an opening in the frontwall for engagement in a selected one of the openings 95 to lock theadjuster tube 94 at a selected extension. As best illustrated in FIGS.34, 34A, a U-shaped bracket 98 is secured to the upper end of theadjuster tube 94 and has a pair of ears 99 which project rearwardly forengagement with a pivot pin 100 which extends through the transversetube 85 at the forward end of the seat bracket 80. This pivotallysecures the forward end of the seat assembly to the upper end of theadjuster tube 94. A gap 102 is provided at the center of the roundedfront end 84 of the seat pad 82 to provide clearance for the pivotalmovement of the folding front leg assembly about pivot 100 (see FIGS.19, 20, 21 and 25, for example)

The front support leg 90 is pivotally secured to the main tube 72 via apivot pin 104 which is pivotally engaged in a mounting tube 105 which istransversely welded to the front or forward wall of the support leg at alocation between the leg's two ends. The pivot pin 104 is securedbetween the forwardly projecting ears or plates 106 of the front bracket74 of the main tube, as best illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 24, so as topivotally connect the main support frame to the front support leg 90.The pivotal connection between the front support leg and forward bracketof the main tube 72 allows the front support leg to fold rearward, upagainst the underside of the main support frame. A rearward protrudingplate 108 is attached to the rear wall of the support leg at a locationbehind mounting tube 105 and between the ears 106, as best illustratedin FIGS. 22 and 32. This plate has two spaced pinning holes 110 (FIG.22) and 112 (FIG. 32) at opposite ends of its curved rearward edge 114which provide locking positions for the storage (folded) and exercisepositions. A pull pin 115 is located on one ear 106 of the supportbracket, engaging one of the holes located in the support leg's rearplate 108, depending on whether the support leg is in the deployedposition or the folded position. FIG. 24A illustrates the pull pin 115engaging the hole 112 with the support leg in the deployed or exerciseposition. In the folded position of FIG. 33, the pull pin 115 engageshole 110 to hold the support leg in the folded position.

A generally “T” shaped foot stabilizer is pivotally connected to thefront support leg 90 at a location intermediate the leg's two ends. Thestabilizer consists of a “U” shaped channel 116 with a central web 118which is wider than the width of the front face of the leg 90 and whichhas two side legs 120. The rear ends of the side legs 120 haverearwardly projecting ears 122 which are pivotally secured to thesupport leg or tube 90 via a pivot pin 124 which extends through alignedopenings in the projecting ears and the side walls of the tube, as bestillustrated in FIGS. 19 and 22. Oppositely directed user engaging barsor rods 125 are transversely attached to the respective channel side legat the second end of the channel. Roller pads 126 are mounted on each ofthe user engaging bars or rods of the foot stabilizer for added comfortand to create a larger contact surface. The central web 118 of thechannel acts as stop means to limit the pivotal range of motion of thefoot stabilizer about its connection to the front support leg. When thechannel is pivoted upwardly, the inner face of the web eventuallycontacts the front face of the front support leg or tube 90 to limitrotation in this direction. When the channel is pivoted downwardly aboutpivot 124, the end edge 128 of the channel eventually contacts the frontface of the tube 90 so as to limit rotation in the anti-clockwisedirection, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 22. FIGS. 24 and 27also illustrate the stabilizer pads 126 in the lowermost stop position.

As noted above, FIGS. 19 to 33, 35 and 36 illustrate the bench 70 in adeployed or exercise position for performing abdominal crunch exercises.In FIGS. 19 to 33 and 35, the adjuster tube 94 and adjustable seatassembly are in the lowermost position with the tube 94 retracted as faras possible into the support leg or tube 90. FIG. 23 shows a user 60performing an abdominal crunch exercise with the bench in this position.In FIG. 23, hidden lines have been revealed to better show the variouscomponents. The user starts in the upright position, seated on the seatpad 82 while facing forwardly with the knees engaging over the enlargedrounded ends 84 of the seat pad and the feet anchored under the footstabilizer pads 126. Once in the proper position, the user bendsrearwardly at their waist until they reach the fully reclined positionillustrated in FIG. 23, extending rearwardly over the seat pad 82 andstretching the abdominal muscles. The user then bends back upwardly intothe upright position. Because the seat pad is inclined, the user orexerciser uses their stomach muscles to pull their body up hill, againstthe force of gravity. The greater the angle of the seat pad (or theelevation between their knees and hips), the greater the effort requiredto return the body to the starting, upright position. Because of itspivotal attachment to the front support leg 90, the foot stabilizerautomatically pivots to adjust to the leg length of the user.

FIGS. 35 and 36 show the ability to adjust the angle, and consequentlythe degree of difficulty, of the user position for an Abdominal Crunchexercise. FIG. 35 shows the adjustable seat assembly in its lowestposition while FIG. 36 shows it slightly elevated, which increases theamount the user's knees are raised above their hips. By releasing thepull pin 96 and slightly raising the adjuster tube 94, the seat assemblychanges the user's seated angle from 25 to 35 degrees and the user'sknee height by over three inches (since the height of the upper face ofthe rounded end 84 of the seat pad is increased from about 23.5 inchesto about 26.75 inches). The steeper the seated angle of the user, thegreater the gravitational influence of their body weight on theexercise. This adjustment is also used to vary the height of the thighsupport when performing back exercises, as described in more detailbelow.

FIGS. 24 to 28 illustrate the adjuster tube 94 extended farther out fromthe front support leg or tube 90 and the resultant increased angle ofthe seat pad assembly so that the rounded front end 84 of the seat padis at an even greater height from the floor. This position is suitablefor performing a back hyper-extension exercise, since it raises therounded front end of the pad for engagement by the user's upper thigh,and creates a steep angle to the seat which leaves room for the user'supper body when they lean forward to perform a lower back exercise. Theseat pad assembly is adjusted by the user until the rounded front end 84of the seat pad, which in this case acts as a thigh support, is locatedfor engagement with the upper thighs of user 60, as indicated in FIG. 28which illustrates a user performing a back hyper-extension exercise. Theuser can easily adjust the height of the front end or support pad 84 bypulling out pin 96 and lifting the pad to the desired height, thenreleasing the pull pin to lock in the aligned opening 95 in the adjustertube 94. As the adjuster tube is extended, the front end of the seat padassembly is raised, and the rear end pivots about pivot pin 88, with thepin also sliding forwardly along the slots 79 in the channel member 76mounted on top of the main frame tube 72 to accommodate the pivotalmovement. When the adjuster tube is retracted downwardly into tube 90,the pin 88 slides rearwardly along the slots 79.

In order to perform a lower back or back hyper-extension exercise, theuser 60 stands facing the rear of the bench, as illustrated in FIG. 28,with their feet planted on the floor engaging cross member 92 of thefront leg and their heels fitted in front of and under the pads 126 ofthe foot stabilizer, leaning slightly forward against the thigh pads 84.Once they are locked in place, making contact with both the thighsupport and the foot stabilizer, they bend over at the waist until theirlow back muscles are under tension, as indicated by the arrows in FIG.28, and then return to the starting position. Because the front supportleg 90 is inclined generally rearwardly in the deployed or exerciseposition, the floor engaging cross member 92 is spaced forward of thethigh support pads 84, so that the user is placed in a forwardlyinclined starting position. This means their torso is already under theinfluence of gravity, which increases the minute they start the exerciseby bending forward and force their low back muscles to resist theeffects of gravity.

FIGS. 29 to 34 illustrate the bench 70 in the folded or storageposition. In order to move the bench from the deployed or exerciseposition into the storage position, the adjuster tube 94 is firstlowered into the lowermost position, if extended, and locked in thelowered position. Pull pin 115 is then pulled back to release the pinfrom the opening 112 in plate 108 (FIG. 24A). The front leg assembly canthen be rotated rearwardly about pivot 104 until it is positionedunderneath and adjacent the main tube 72, as best illustrated in FIG.32. At this point, the pull pin 115 is aligned with the second opening110 in the plate 108 and is spring loaded to engage in this opening andlock the folding leg assembly in the folded position. When the front legis folded rearward, the adjuster tube's pivotal connection 100 to theseat assembly swings forward, pulling the pin 88 attached to the rear ofthe seat assembly along the main frame's slotted channel 79 until itreaches the forward end of the channel, as indicated in FIG. 32.

The folded position allows the bench to be stored out of the way, in acloset or under a bed when not in use and allows the product to be boxedfully assembled for easier shipping. Notice that the front support leg90 fits up against the underside of the straight section of the maintube 72, ending before the tube bends towards its first end 75. Alsonotice that the user engaging roller pads 126 on the foot stabilizer arespaced wider than the front support leg to allow them to fold up pastthe front wall of the leg. This provides a more compact folded profileand keeps the pads protected within curved frame work of the mainsupport frame.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 19 to 36, the rear end of the seat ispivotally and slidably mounted in a guide slot in a slide channel whichis in turn mounted on the main support frame.

FIGS. 36A and 36B illustrate a modification of the embodiment of FIGS.19 to 36 which is designed to reduce the potential for pinch points.Some parts of the modified embodiment of FIGS. 36A and 36B are identicalto corresponding parts of the embodiment of FIG. 19 to 36, and likereference numbers have been used for such parts, which are not describedin detail in connection with FIGS. 36A and 36B. Instead, reference ismade to the foregoing description of these parts in connection withFIGS. 19 to 36.

In the modified embodiment of FIGS. 36A and 36B, instead of pivotallyand slidably mounting the rear end of the seat in a guide slot of aslide channel on the main support frame, the rear end of the seat isinstead pivotally mounted on a slide member or sliding carriage 200 viapivot 202. The carriage 200 slides along the length of the seatsupporting portion of the main frame 72 when the seat is pivoted up anddown. As in the previous embodiment, the height of the enlarged supportpad 84 at the forward end of the seat pad 82 can be adjusted byadjusting the extension of the adjuster tube 94 out of the upper end offront leg 90. By extending tube 94 upwardly, the seat pad 82 is pivotedupwardly at its forward end about pivot 100 and its rearward end aboutpivot 202, and the carriage 200 slides forwardly along main frame 72 toaccommodate the pivoting motion. This raises the height of the enlargedforward end or support pad 84.

FIG. 36A shows the lowermost position of the seat pad 82, with the benchand seat pad in position for performing abdominal crunch exercises.Comparison of FIG. 36A with FIG. 35, which shows the equivalentlowermost position of the embodiment of FIGS. 19 to 36, shows that thepinch risk is substantially reduced in the modified embodiment of FIG.36A, due to the larger gap between the undersurface of seat supportbracket 80 and the upper surface of the main frame 72 beneath the seat.

FIG. 36B shows the adjuster tube 94 extended out from the front supportleg 90 so as to raise the rounded front end 84 of the seat pad to aposition suitable for performing back hyperextension exercises, asdescribed above in connection with FIGS. 24 to 28. In the modifiedembodiment of FIGS. 36A and 36B, the sliding carriage or sleeve 200slides forwardly along main frame tube 72 as the seat is pivotedupwardly.

As in the previous embodiment, a foot stabilizer is pivotally connectedto the front support leg 90 at a location intermediate the leg's twoends. Unlike the previous embodiments, in which the foot stabilizer ismounted at a fixed position on the front support leg, the footstabilizer in FIG. 36A is pivotally mounted via pivot pin 204 on abracket 205 slidably mounted on the front support leg 90 and secured ina selected position by pull pin 206. This allows the foot stabilizer tobe adjusted along the length of the front support leg to accommodateusers having different length legs. The foot stabilizer itself issimilar to the foot stabilizer of the first embodiment, and has a pairof pads 208 mounted on opposite ends of a support rod 210. A pair ofspaced pivot mounting plates 212 extend on opposite sides of the frontsupport leg 90 and are secured to the support rod 210 at one end, andpivotally mounted at the rear end of the sliding bracket 205 via pivot204 with a pivot pin (not shown) extending through the aligned openingsin the sliding bracket and the spaced mounting plates. Stop pins 214 oneach side of bracket 205 limit the downward rotation of the footstabilizer by engaging the lower edges of the plates 212.

The bench of FIGS. 36A and 36B is adjustable between the differentexercise positions and the folded position in the same way as describedabove in connection with FIGS. 19 to 36, with the exception of thedifference in the pivotal mounting of the rear end of the seat pad. Asin FIGS. 19 to 36, the modified bench of FIG. 36A is movable into afolded position which allows the bench to be stored out of the way, in acloset or under a bed when not in use and allows the product to be boxedfully assembled for easier shipping. The user engaging roller pads 208on the foot stabilizer are spaced wider than the front support leg 90 toallow them to fold up past the front wall of the leg in the foldedposition, as do the roller pads 126 of the previous embodiment when thebench is folded as in FIG. 32.

FIGS. 37 to 57 illustrate an exercise bench 140 according to anotherembodiment which is adjustable between deployed or exercise positionsfor performing abdominal crunch or back hyper-extension exercises, and afolded or storage position. As in the first two embodiments, the bench140 has a main frame supporting a seat pad assembly and a front supportleg 142 which is foldable between exercise and folded positions. Unlikethe previous embodiments, the seat pad assembly in this case is a splitseat with a pivoting first seat pad and a fixed second seat pad, withthe forward end of the pivoting seat pad secured near the second end ofthe main tube, as described in more detail below.

FIGS. 37 to 41, 56 and 57 illustrate the bench in a position forperforming abdominal crunch exercises, while FIGS. 42 to 46 illustratethe bench positioned for performing back hyper-extension exercises, andFIGS. 47 to 50 illustrate the bench in a folded or storage position. Thebench 140 has main support frame that has a downwardly angled main tube144 with a floor engaging, round cross support 146 transversely attachedat a first end and a support plate 145 secured over its open second end.The support plate 145 adds strength to the second end and keeps the maintube from collapsing under the weight of the user. The main tube has astraight section extending from the second end and a downward curvingsection extending up to the first end. A mounting tube 148 istransversely attached approximate the second end of the main tube, asbest seen in FIGS. 51 and 55.

Aligned pivot holes 149 and a pinning hole 151 are located in the sidewall 150 of the straight section of the main tube 144, as bestillustrated in FIG. 55, with the pivot hole positioned between thepinning hole and transverse mounting tube 148. A pull pin orspring-loaded plunger 152 is mounted to one side wall for extensionthrough one of the side wall pinning holes, as illustrated in FIG. 51.Aligned elongated openings or slots 154,155 are located in the top andbottom walls 156,157 of the straight section of the main tube, asindicated in FIGS. 43, 51 and 55. The slots 154,155 are positioned inalignment with the pull pin 152, as seen in FIGS. 51 and 55. As bestillustrated in FIGS. 40 and 55, a raised block or stop member 158 isattached to the bottom wall 157 of the main tube at a location betweenthe slot 155 and the second end of the main tube. A pair of upholsterymounting-plates 159 are attached to the top wall of the first sectionbetween the slot 154 and the curved section of the main tube.

As noted above, the bench has a split-seat system comprising a pivotingfirst seat pad 160 and a fixed second seat pad 162. The first seat pad160 is mounted on a seat bracket 164 with downward projecting ears 165at its forward end. Attachment holes are located approximate the end ofeach ear 165 for pivotal attachment to the mounting tube 148 via pivotpin 166. A curved adjuster plate 168 with multiple adjustment holes 170is welded to underside of the bracket 164, and projects downwardlythrough the aligned slots 154,155 in the upper and lower faces 156,157of the main tube 144, as best illustrated in FIGS. 51 and 52. The pullpin 152 has a projecting plunger 172 (FIG. 55) which extends through aselected aligned hole 170 in the adjuster plate 168 when released. Thefirst seat pad 160 has tapered sides and a rounded front edge 174 whichprovides support behind the user's knee when they are seated andperforming abdominal crunch exercises. The second, fixed seat pad 162 isa smaller tapered pad that is fixedly mounted to the upholstery mountingplates 159 located atop the main tube.

The folding front leg assembly has a tubular front support leg 175 withan open lower end and a second end. A pull pin 176 is attached to thefront wall of the leg approximate its open lower end. A generally “U”shaped bracket 178 is attached by its web to the second end of thesupport leg. The opposite legs 180 of bracket 178 extend upwardly andrearwardly to engage over opposite sides of the main frame tube 144, andhave mounting holes (not visible in the drawings) located near theiroutermost edges which are aligned with the pivot holes 149 in the sidewalls of tube 144. The legs are pivotally secured to the main tube viapivot pin 182 which extends through the aligned mounting holes and pivotholes. One leg 180 has a pull pin 184 mounted to it at a locationbetween the mounting hole and the bracket's connection to the supportleg, as best illustrated in FIGS. 53, 53A, 55A and 55B. When the mainsupport frame and folding front assembly are joined, the pull pin 184acts to lock the folding front leg assembly in either the deployedexercise position or the folded position. As illustrated in FIG. 55A,the pull pin plunger 183 engages a second pinning hole 187 (visible inFIG. 53A) on the main support frame in the folded position. The plunger183 is extended to wedge against the raised block 158 and the bottomwall of the main tube in the exercise position, as illustrated in FIGS.53A and 55B. This way the front support leg assembly can be locked ineither position. As best illustrated in FIGS. 50 and 51, the other leg180 of the bracket 178 has a notch 189 in its rear edge for engagingaround the pull pin 152 when the bench is in the folded position.

A generally “T” shaped adjuster tube 185 with multiple adjustmentopenings is inserted into the open first end of the front support legfor telescopic adjustment with the support leg. The cross bar 186 at thelower end of tube 185 is for engagement with the floor. The pull pin 176extends through the front wall of the support leg or tube 175 and intoan aligned adjustment opening in tube 185 to lock the tube 185 at aselected extension relative to the tube 175. A generally “T” shaped footstabilizer is pivotally connected to the adjuster tube 185. Thestabilizer consists of two, spaced plates 188 with a mounting holelocated towards the first end of each plate, and a user engaging crossbar 190 transversely connected at the second end of each plate. Theplates are spaced apart to allow pivotal mounting to the side walls ofthe adjuster tube via a pivot pin 192 extending through the mountingholes at the first ends of the plates and corresponding pivot holes inthe side walls of adjuster tube 185. Roller pads 194 are mounted to theends of the user engaging cross bar for added comfort and to create alarger contact surface. A stop pin 195 is transversely attached to thefront wall of the adjuster tube, between the mounting holes and thefloor engaging cross bar, so that the ends of the pin protrude past theside walls of the adjuster tube, as best illustrated in FIG. 37. Onceattached, the foot stabilizer's pivotal connection to the adjuster tubeis limited in one direction by contact of plates 188 with the transversepin 195 and in the other direction by contact of cross bar 190 with thefront face of the front leg support tube 175 (see FIG. 38).

In FIGS. 37 to 41 and 56, the bench is positioned for use in performingabdominal crunch exercises. In this position, as noted above, theplunger 183 of pull pin 184 is stopped against the stop block 158 on theunderside of the main frame tube 144. In these drawings, the pivotingseat pad 160 is in its lowermost position seated on top of the mainframe tube 144 with the plunger of pull pin 152 extending through analigned opening in curved adjuster plate 168 to lock the seat pad inposition. In the down position, the two seat pads 160 and 162 providesupport for a seated exerciser performing abdominal exercises. Theadjuster tube 185 which is telescopically engaged in the lower end ofthe front support leg or tube 175 may also be in a retracted position,with pull pin 176 engaging through an adjustment hole in the front faceof tube 185 to lock it in position, but may be adjusted to vary exercisedifficulty or for user's with different leg lengths, as discussed below.

FIG. 41 shows a user 60 performing a seated abdominal exercise. In FIG.41, hidden lines have been revealed to better show the variouscomponents. The user first sits upright on the front pad 160, facingforwards, and hooks their feet under the foot stabilizer pads 194. FIG.40 illustrates the self-aligning capabilities of the pivoting footstabilizer. They then lean their torso rearward, pivoting at the waistuntil their abdominal muscles are under tension, as illustrated in thereclined user position of FIG. 41. The user then returns to the uprightposition. The upright position in FIG. 41 represents both the start andfinish of the exercise, while the reclined position shows theintermediate position when the abdominal muscles are under tension.

Because the seat pads 160,162 are inclined, the user uses their stomachmuscles to pull their body up hill, against the force of gravity. Thegreater the angle of the seat pad, or the greater the elevation betweenthe user's knees and hips, the greater the effort that is required toreturn to the upright position. The effort required for performing anabdominal crunch exercise in this case may be adjusted by increasing thelength of the support leg assembly 142, i.e. by extending the length ofadjuster tube 185 extending out of the support leg or tube 175, asindicated in FIG. 57. By slightly raising the support leg, the forwardend of the seat assembly is raised to change the user's seated anglefrom 28 to 33 degrees, and simultaneously increases the amount theuser's knees are raised above their hips. The height at the top of theforward end 174 of the seat is 22.75 inches in FIG. 56 and 25 inches inthe raised position of FIG. 57. The steeper the seated angle of theuser, the greater the gravitational influence of their body weight onthe exercise. This adjustment is also used to vary the height of thethigh support when performing back exercises.

In FIGS. 42 to 46, the position of the bench has been modified to allowa back hyper-extension exercise to be performed. In this position, thefront seat pad 160 is raised so that it faces generally forwardly to actas a thigh support for a user. This is done by releasing pull pin 152from the adjuster plate 168, and then rotating the rear end of the seatpad 160 upwardly so that the seat pad pivots about pivot pin 166 intothe raised position, as best illustrated in FIG. 45. FIGS. 51 and 52also illustrate the pad 160 being pivoted into a raised position. FIG.51 illustrates how the adjustable seat bracket with its curved adjusterplate 168 passes through the slot in the main tube as the first seat padis adjusted from one exercise position to the next. The angle of seatpad 160 in the upright or raised position can be varied to a less steepor steeper angle to increase or decrease the level of exercisedifficulty. FIG. 52 highlights the multiple angular positions availablefor performing Back Hyper-Extension exercises. By adjusting the angle ofthe user engaging thigh support 160, as indicated in FIG. 52, thegravitational effect of the user's body weight is adjusted. The steeperor closer the pad is to vertical the less impact gravity has on the userand the easier the exercise. When the seat pad 160 is in the desiredorientation, the pull pin 152 is released and engages an aligned opening170 in plate 168 to lock the seat pad in position.

FIG. 46 shows a user 60 performing a low back exercise. Beforeperforming this exercise, the user can adjust the height of the thighsupport or raised pad 160 to an appropriate position for engaging thefront of their upper thigh as indicated in FIG. 46. This is done byadjusting the overall length of the folding front leg assembly byextending adjuster tube 185 until the pad 160 is at the desired height,and then releasing pull pin 176 to lock the tube in the adjustedposition. The upright position of the user in FIG. 46 represents boththe start and finish of the exercise, while the bent position shows theintermediate position. The user 60 stands on the foot rest 186 with thefoot stabilizer pads 194 engaging behind their ankles and over theirheels, and leans against the pad 160. Once the user is locked in placein this way, they can bend forward at the waist until their low backmuscles are under tension, as indicated by the forwardly bent positionin FIG. 46, and then return to the starting position. The relativepositions of the foot rest 186 and thigh engaging pad 160 are such thatthe user is placed in a forwardly inclined starting position, puttingtheir torso under the influence of gravity, and this force increases assoon as they start the exercise, forcing their back muscles to resistthe force of gravity.

FIGS. 47 to 50 illustrate the bench 140 in a folded or storage position,while FIGS. 53 and 54 illustrate the folding front support assembly inthe process of being folded between the exercise and storage position orvice versa. With the front seat pad 160 returned to the lowermostposition seated on top of main tube 144, the front support leg 175 isrotated rearwardly about pivot 182. The pull pin 184 is pulled outwardlyso that the plunger can clear the side wall of the tube 144 and thenenter the opening 187 to lock the folding front assembly in the foldedposition. At the same time, the notch 189 in the opposite leg 180 (seeFIGS. 50, 54 and 54A) fits around the pad adjusting pull pin 152.

The folded position of FIGS. 47 to 50 allows the bench to be stored outof the way, in a closet or under a bed when not in use and allows theproduct to be boxed fully assembled for easier shipping. In thisposition, the front support leg fits up against the underside of thestraight section of the main tube, ending before the tube bends towardsits first end. At the same time, the user engaging roller pads 194 onthe foot stabilizer are spaced wider than the front support leg to allowthem to fold up past the leg's front wall. This provides a more compactfolded profile and keeps the pads protected within curved frame work ofthe main support frame.

FIGS. 58 to 61 show several alternative embodiments of the self-aligningfoot stabilizer as described above in connection with the embodiments ofthe bench illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 57. The stabilizers of FIGS. 58 to61 are interchangeable and any one of these stabilizers may be used inany of the above embodiments. In FIGS. 58A and 58B, the stabilizerpivots off the rear wall of the front support leg and utilizes a bolt 55contacting the rear wall of the support leg 29 as stop means to limitthe forward motion of the stabilizer. Rearward motion of the footstabilizer is limited by the center section 52 of the cross bar whichconnects to the second end of the spaced plates 48, 49. In FIGS. 59A and59B, the stabilizer pivots on the side walls of the support leg and usesthe end of the web 118 and the inner surface of the stabilizer channelas stop means to limit the stabilizer's forward and rearward motion. InFIGS. 60A and 60B, the stabilizer pivots on the side walls of thesupport leg, similar to the design in FIGS. 59A and 59B, but has spacedplates 188 instead of a U-shaped channel. The forward edges of the twinplates contact a pin 195 transversely attached to the front wall of theadjuster tube to limit the forward motion of the foot stabilizer. Therearward motion is limited by the center section 190 of the cross bar,similar to the arrangement in FIGS. 58A and 58B.

In FIGS. 61A and 611B, the foot stabilizer is pivotally mounted on abracket 205 which is adjustably secured to a front support leg 90 of anexercise bench as described above in connection with FIG. 36A. A pullpin 206 extends through an opening in a front wall of the bracket 205and a selected opening in the front wall of the support leg 90. Thisallows the foot stabilizer to be adjusted along the length of the frontsupport leg to accommodate users having different leg lengths. The footstabilizer itself is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 58, and has apair of pads 208 mounted on opposite ends of support rod 210. A pair ofspaced pivot mounting plates 212 extend on opposite sides of the frontsupport leg and are secured to support rod 210 at one end, and pivotallymounted on the rear end of mounting bracket 205 at their opposite endsvia pivot pins 204. Stop pin 214 on the opposite sides of bracket 205restricts downward pivoting movement of the foot stabilizer and hold thestabilizer in an exercise-ready position.

In all four versions of the foot stabilizer, the foot stabilizer padsself-align to the user and provide support/positioning for the user'sfeet during the performance of both abdominal and low back exercises.The ability of the foot or ankle engaging pads to swivel allows the footstabilizer to fold up tight against the front of the support leg whenthe bench is in the storage position as well as to self-align to theuser. Because of the stop means used to limit the pivotal range ofmotion of the foot stabilizer pads, the stabilizers do not pivot out oftheir exercise ready position and are always easily accessible foreither type of exercise. It should also be noted that other componentsor features in the above embodiments of the exercise bench, such aslocking pull pins, pinning hole vs. slots, stop means, exercise angleadjustment means, pivoting vs. sliding pad adjusters, or single vs. dualseat pads, may be interchanged between the embodiments and not alter thescope of the invention.

The folding exercise bench is designed to allow the user to perform bothabdominal and lower back exercises, and is easy to switch between thepositions for the different types of exercise. The bench is readilyadjustable for various size exercisers to perform both types of exerciseeffectively, and is also adjustable for different levels of exercisedifficulty. While resistance for both exercises is supplied by theuser's body weight, this could be augmented by hand held weights,elastic bands, or other forms of resistance known in the art, ifdesired. The bench also has the ability to fold up and lock into arelatively flat, compact storage position without having to first removeany components from the bench. The storage position allows the bench tobe readily stored out of the way, in a closet or under a bed, when notin use. It also allows the product to be boxed when fully assembled foreasier shipping, and requiring no assembly by a purchaser. In the foldedposition, the entire front leg assembly is folded up against or close toa straight portion of the main frame, and tucked up within a curved endportion of the main frame.

The user engaging foot stabilizer in each of the above embodiments ispivoted to the front support leg assembly at a location which does notadjust with the seat. This means that the distance between the seat padand the foot stabilizer can be varied to accommodate users of differentheights with different leg lengths. At least a portion of the footengaging pads of the foot stabilizer can swing past the front wall oredge of the front support leg in the folded condition to allow the footstabilizer to fold up tight against the front support leg for morecompact storage and also to protect the pads against damage when stored.The end stops which limit pivotal movement of the foot stabilizer ensurethat it is always readily accessible to the user in an exercise readyposition. The foot stabilizer is also designed to self-align to the userduring each exercise.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description anddrawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and are therefore representative of the subject matterwhich is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is furtherunderstood that the scope of the present invention fully encompassesother embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the artand that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited bynothing other than the appended claims.

1. An exercise bench, comprising: a main frame having a first end whichengages the ground and a second end raised above the ground in anexercise position; a front leg secured to the main frame and having afoot portion which engages the ground in the exercise position to holdthe second end of the main frame in the raised position; a support padwhich supports part of the user's body mounted on one of said front legand said main frame; at least one of the support pad and the front legbeing adjustable to adjust the height of the support pad; a userengaging foot stabilizer; and a pivot mount pivotally associating thefoot stabilizer with the front leg whereby adjustment of the height ofthe support pad adjusts the distance between the foot stabilizer pivotmount and the support pad.
 2. The bench as claimed in claim 1, whereinat least a forward part of the main frame is inclined upwardly towardsthe second end in an exercise position of the bench, and the support padcomprises a thigh support which engages the thighs of a user whenperforming exercises while supported on the bench, the spacing betweenthe user engaging foot stabilizer and the thigh support being adjustableby adjusting the position of the thigh support on the respective one ofthe front leg and main frame.
 3. The exercise bench as claimed in claim2, wherein the front leg has an upper end and the thigh support isadjustably mounted in the upper end of the front leg.
 4. The exercisebench as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a seat pad mounted onthe forward part of the main frame for supporting a seated user in afirst position for performing abdominal crunch exercises, the thighsupport being moveable between a first position for engaging behind theuser's knees when seated on the seat pad with their feet engaging thefoot stabilizer, and a second position for supporting the thighs of astanding user facing the rear end of the bench in a second position forperforming back hyper-extension exercises.
 5. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 4, wherein the thigh support is adjustable independentof the seat pad and is adjustably mounted at an upper end of the frontleg.
 6. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 5, wherein the front legis pivotally secured to the main frame for movement between a deployedposition in which the foot portion engages the ground and a folded,storage position.
 7. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 4, whereinthe seat pad has a rear end pivotally associated with the main frame anda forward end, the forward end of the seat pad being enlarged andcomprising said thigh support.
 8. The exercise bench as claimed in claim7, wherein the front leg has a lower tubular portion and an upperportion having a lower end telescopically associated with the lowertubular portion of the front leg, the front leg further comprisingreleasable locking means for releasably securing the upper portion ofthe leg at a selected position relative to the lower portion, the lowerportion of the front leg being pivotally secured to the main frame, andthe upper portion being pivotally secured to the forward end of the seatpad.
 9. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least aforward part of the seat pad has a forward end pivotally secured to themain frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised,forwardly facing position, the forward part of the seat pad in saidraised position comprising said thigh support for supporting a user'sthighs when performing back hyper-extension exercises.
 10. The exercisebench as claimed in claim 9, wherein the front leg has an upper endsecured to the main frame and is adjustable in length to adjust theposition of the thigh support.
 11. The exercise bench as claimed inclaim 9, wherein the seat is split into said forward part pivotallysecured to the main frame and a rear part rigidly secured to the mainframe, the forward part being aligned with said rear part in saidlowered position to form a continuous support pad for a seated userperforming abdominal crunch exercises.
 12. The exercise bench as claimedin claim 1, wherein the user engaging foot stabilizer is pivotallymounted on the front leg so as to extend in front of the leg, and a stopdevice is provided for limiting the pivotal range of motion of the footstabilizer in at least one direction.
 13. The exercise bench as claimedin claim 12, wherein the user engaging foot stabilizer comprises an armpivotally associated with the leg, and a pair of foot engaging padssecured to the arm, and the stop device is positioned to prevent thefoot stabilizer from pivoting to a position in which the foot engagingpads are at a lower elevation than the pivot mounting.
 14. The exercisebench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main frame has a lower surface,and the front leg is pivotally secured to the main frame for movementbetween a deployed position in which the foot portion engages the groundand a folded, storage position in which the front leg is locatedadjacent the lower surface of the main frame.
 15. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 14, wherein the front leg has a front wall which facesforwardly in the deployed position, and the foot stabilizer is foldableinto a storage position in which at least part of the foot stabilizerswings past the front wall of the front leg.
 16. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 14, including a locking assembly for locking the frontleg in the deployed and storage positions.
 17. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 4, wherein the foot portion of the front leg comprisesa cross member at the lower end of the front leg for providing a footsupport for the user to stand on when performing back hyper-extensionexercises.
 18. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein thefront leg comprises a first tube and an adjuster member telescopicallyassociated with the first tube and releasably lockable in a series ofdifferent extended positions relative to the first tube.
 19. Theexercise bench as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first tube has anupper end secured to the forward end of the first frame portion, theadjuster member is telescopically mounted in the upper end of the firsttube, and the support pad is secured to the upper end of the adjustermember.
 20. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 19, wherein thesupport pad comprises a pair of roller pads projecting in oppositedirections from the upper end of the adjuster member.
 21. The exercisebench as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a seat pad having arear end pivotally associated with the main frame, the seat pad havingan enlarged forward end comprising said support pad, and the upper endof the adjuster member being pivotally secured to the forward end ofsaid seat pad, whereby extension of the adjuster member will increasethe angle of the seat pad and raise the height of the support pad. 22.The exercise bench as claimed in claim 18, wherein the upper end of theadjuster member is pivotally secured to the main frame, and a pad ispivotally mounted on the forward part of the main frame for movementbetween a lowered position to act as a seat pad for a user performingabdominal exercises and a raised, forwardly facing position to act as athigh support for a user performing abdominal exercise, wherebyadjustment of the extension of said adjuster member from said first tubevaries the height of said pad in both the lowered and raised positions.23. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thigh supportis adjustable in height between positions for engaging behind a user'sknees when seated on the main frame in a first, forwardly facingabdominal exercise position and different height positions for engagingin front of a user's thighs when standing in a second, rearwardly facinglower back exercise position.
 24. The exercise bench as claimed in claim23, wherein the front leg is adjustable in length to adjust the heightof the thigh support.
 25. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 24,wherein the thigh support is mounted at the upper end of the front leg.26. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a seatpad mounted on the forward part of the first frame portion forsupporting a seated user in the first exercise position.
 27. Theexercise bench as claimed in claim 26, wherein the thigh supportcomprises a part of said seat pad.
 28. The exercise bench as claimed inclaim 27, wherein the seat pad is pivotally associated with said firstframe portion and linked to an upper end of the front leg, wherebyadjustment of the length of said front leg will adjust the height ofsaid thigh pad.
 29. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 27, whereinthe front leg has an upper end pivotally associated with the forwardpart of the first frame portion, whereby adjustment of the length ofsaid front leg will adjust the height of the forward part and therebyadjust the height of said thigh support.
 30. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the user engaging foot stabilizer isslidably mounted on said front leg for adjustment of the location ofsaid stabilizer relative to said leg.
 31. The exercise bench as claimedin claim 30, wherein the foot stabilizer comprises a bracket slidablymounted on said front leg, a releasable locking device for securing thebracket in a selected position on said leg, an arm pivotally associatedwith said bracket, and a pair of foot engaging pads secured to said arm.32. The bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front leg comprisespart of a folding assembly pivotally secured to the main frame formovement between a deployed position for supporting the main frame in anexercise-ready position for supporting a user in a seated position forperforming abdominal exercise and a standing position for performing lowback exercise, and a folded position, the folding assembly beingfoldable into the folded, storage position without the dismantling ofany component of the bench, and a securing device for securing thefolding assembly in at least one of said deployed and folded positions.33. The bench as claimed in claim 32, wherein the folding assembly has afront edge which faces forwards in the deployed position, the footstabilizer being pivotal into a storage position when the foldingassembly is moved into the folded position, at least a portion of theuser engaging section of the foot stabilizer swinging past the frontedge of the folding assembly in the storage position.
 34. The bench asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the main frame has a seat pad for supportinga seated user in a first, abdominal exercise position facing in a firstdirection, the frame further comprising means for supporting a standinguser in a second, low back exercise position facing in a second,opposite direction, the foot stabilizing device being engageable overthe feet of a seated user in the first exercise position and engageablebehind a standing user's ankles in the second exercise position.
 35. Theexercise bench as claimed in claim 34, wherein the foot stabilizingdevice has a limit or stop member to restrict its range of motion in atleast one direction.
 36. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 34,wherein the foot stabilizing device is freely pivoting so as toself-align to the feet of the user in each exercise position,
 37. Theexercise bench as claimed in claim 34, wherein the frame has a frontportion, and the foot stabilizing device comprises a cross memberextending transversely across the front portion of the frame, oppositelydirected pads secured to opposite ends of the cross member, and a pivotbracket assembly pivotally securing the cross member to a portion of theframe, the cross member comprising means for restricting pivoting motionof the foot stabilizing device in a first direction.
 38. The exercisebench as claimed in claim 37, further comprising a stop member mountedon the frame for restricting pivoting motion of the foot stabilizingdevice in a second direction.
 39. The exercise bench as claimed in claim37 further comprising a stop member mounted on the foot stabilizingdevice for engaging the frame to restrict pivoting motion of the footstabilizing device in a second direction opposite to the firstdirection.
 40. A bench for exercising the low back of a user,comprising: a main frame; and a folding assembly pivotally secured tothe main frame for movement between a deployed position for supportingthe main frame in an exercise-ready position for supporting a user in astanding position for performing low back exercise, and a foldedposition for storage purposes.
 41. The bench as claimed in claim 40wherein the folding assembly has a front wall which faces forwardly inthe deployed position; a locking device for locking the folding assemblyin at least one of said deployed and folded positions; a user engagingfoot stabilizer pivotally associated with the folding assembly andhaving a user engaging section for engaging the feet of a user in thedeployed position; and the foot stabilizer being foldable into a storageposition when the folding assembly is moved to the folded position, atleast a portion of the user engaging section of the foot stabilizerswinging past the front wall of said folding assembly in the storageposition.
 42. The bench as claimed in claim 41, wherein the foldingassembly is foldable into the folded, storage position without thedismantling of any component of the bench.
 43. The bench as claimed inclaim 40, wherein the main frame has a first end for engaging the groundand a second end, and the folding assembly comprises a folding front legpivotally associated with the second end of the main frame and having alower end for engaging the ground.
 44. The bench as claimed in claim 43,wherein the front leg is adjustable in length.
 45. The bench as claimedin claim 44, further comprising a support pad for supporting a part ofuser's body when using the bench, the support pad being mounted on oneof said front leg and said main frame.
 46. The bench as claimed in claim45, wherein the support pad is mounted on an upper end of said frontleg, whereby adjustment of the length of said front leg adjusts theheight of the support pad.
 47. The bench as claimed in claim 45, whereinthe support pad is mounted on the main frame, and the front leg has anupper end pivotally associated with the forward end of the main frame,whereby adjustment of the length of said front leg will adjust theheight of the forward end of the main frame and thereby adjust theheight of said support pad.
 48. The bench as claimed in claim 45,further comprising a seat pad having a rear end pivotally associatedwith the main frame and a forward end comprising said support pad, thefront leg having an upper end associated with the forward end of saidseat pad, whereby adjustment of the length of said front leg will pivotthe forward end of said seat pad upwardly, thereby adjusting the heightof said support pad.
 49. A bench for exercising the abdominals of auser, comprising: a main frame having a first end for engaging theground and a second end raised above the ground in an exercise position;a folding assembly pivotally secured to the main frame for movementbetween a deployed position for supporting the main frame in an exerciseready position for supporting a user in a seated position for performingabdominal crunch exercise, and a folded position; a support pad forsupporting part of the user's body mounted on one of said main frame andsaid folding assembly; and a user engaging foot stabilizer device forengaging the feet of a seated user, pivotally associated with saidfolding assembly.
 50. The bench as claimed in claim 49 wherein thefolding assembly has a front wall which faces forwardly in the deployedposition, a locking device for locking the folding assembly in at leastone of said deployed and folded positions, a user engaging footstabilizer pivotally associated with the folding assembly and having auser engaging section for engaging the feet of a user in the deployedposition; and the foot stabilizer being foldable into a storage positionwhen the folding assembly is moved to the folded position, at least aportion of the user engaging section of the foot stabilizer swingingpast the front wall of said folding assembly in the storage position.51. The bench as claimed in claim 50, wherein the folding assembly isfoldable into the folded, storage position without the dismantling ofany component of the bench.
 52. The bench as claimed in claim 49,wherein the main frame has a first end for engaging the ground and asecond end, and the folding assembly comprises a folding front legpivotally associated with the second end of the main frame and having alower end for engaging the ground.
 53. The bench as claimed in claim 52,wherein the front leg is adjustable in length.
 54. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 49, further comprising a pivot mount pivotallyassociating the foot stabilizer with the folding assembly and a stopmember for limiting the range of motion of said foot stabilizer relativeto its pivot mount.
 55. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 52,wherein the front leg has a front wall and a pivot mount pivotallyassociating the foot stabilizer with the front leg, and the footstabilizer comprises a cross member extending transversely across thefront wall, oppositely directed pads secured to opposite sides of thecross member, and a pivot bracket assembly extending from the crossmember and pivotally securing the cross member on said pivot mount, thecross member comprising means for restricting pivoting motion of thefoot stabilizer in a first direction.
 56. The exercise bench as claimedin claim 55, wherein the front leg has a rear wall, the pivot mount islocated on the rear wall, and the pivot bracket assembly comprises apair of plates extending on opposite sides of said front leg to engagesaid pivot mount, the stop member comprising a stop pin secured betweensaid plates at a location rear of said rear wall, whereby the stop pinengages the rear wall of the front leg to restrict pivoting motion ofthe foot stabilizer in a second direction.
 57. The exercise bench asclaimed in claim 52, wherein the foot stabilizer comprises a channelmember having a first end pivotally connected to said front leg and asecond end, and oppositely directed foot engaging pads secured to thesecond end of the channel member, the channel member having an innerface facing the front leg, the first end of the channel membercomprising a first stop member for engaging the front wall of the frontleg to restrict pivoting motion of the foot stabilizer in a firstdirection and the inner face of the channel member comprising a secondstop member for engaging the front wall of the front leg to restrictpivoting motion of the foot stabilizer in a second direction.